


Emmett has had enough

by Edom



Category: Queer as Folk (US)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-07-22
Updated: 2010-07-22
Packaged: 2017-10-10 17:54:39
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,483
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/102483
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Edom/pseuds/Edom
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Emmett has had enough of Michael's treatment of Justin.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Emmett has had enough

Brian, Ted, Emmett, and Michael were standing at the bar in Babylon. Brian was trying to cheer up Michael, who was whining about how bad he felt and how Ben had gone out of town just as Michael had gotten sick. Emmett and Ted were watching and wondering how Brian was the only one who couldn't see that Michael was playing him.

When Michael left to go to the bathroom, at least he didn't ask Brian to go with him, Brian turned to the others and, for the first time, realized that Justin wasn't with them any more.

"Where's Justin?"

Emmett and Ted looked at each other, but then Emmett decided to be blunt with Brian.

"He left with some guy about fifteen minutes ago."

"What? It couldn't have been that long ago; I just saw him. Where did they go?"

They could see that Brian was irritated, but he was going to be more annoyed when he heard the reason.

"Yes, it has been that long; you have not seen a thing other than Michael the entire evening; I'm amazed you didn't go with him to piss. I really don't blame Justin for finding someone who actually wants to spend some time with him, even if it is just for a couple of hours. They left to go either to the guy's place or back to the loft; who knows?"

"What the fuck? I have not only noticed Michael all evening; besides, he's sick and his partner is out of town. What was I supposed to do, just ignore him?"

"Jesus, Brian, for an intelligent man, you are dumb as snot sometimes. Michael has been playing you all fucking night and rubbing it in Justin's face in the process. Why the fuck would Michael come out with us if he really was as sick as he would have you believe? We HAD to go to his place tonight since he was sick and Ben was out of town. All the time we were there, he kept getting you to do these inane little things for him in the name of his sickness. Every time you got up to do whatever it was he had made up next, he shot a triumphant look at Justin. Once Justin had enough of that, he said he was leaving. He never once asked you to go with him, he never once told you what Michael was doing, he just planned to quietly leave and let you take care of your supposed best friend. You were the one who asked if we should go to Babylon, told him you wanted to dance with him. When Michael found out that we were all leaving, he came up with the stupid reason to go with us. 'Oh, Brian, I will feel better if I get out of the house; I won't miss Ben as much'. And by the way, you haven't as much as looked at Justin since we got here, let alone danced with him."

Emmett's eyes were shooting daggers at Brian.

"Fuck you, Honeycutt; Michael would never do that; he's the nicest person in the world. I know that he didn't like Justin much in the beginning, but you know that changed when they started working on 'Rage'."

"Really? Then why hasn't he let you leave his side all evening unless it was to do something for him? I'm not the only one who saw all the little smirks and evil little grins he was throwing in Justin's direction all night."

"I'm afraid it's true, Brian. You know I like Michael, but when it comes to you and Justin, he is not rational, and Justin just lets him; he knows how much Michael means to you, so he would never put you in the middle the way Michael always does."

Brian looked at them and started thinking back over the evening and realized they were right. Every time he had made any kind of move to sit next to, or even talk to, Justin, Michael had done or said something to get him distracted. Suddenly, it registered, what Emmett had said.

"Wait, what do you mean Justin might take that guy back to the loft? Why the fuck would he do that when he knows I'll be home later?"

"Because he knew that you wouldn't be home later. You can be absolutely sure that Michael will come up with some lame ass reason why you just have to stay with him tonight. Justin knows how Michael operates; he's been doing it for years. This time, I just think it got to be too much. Justin isn't doing it to hurt, or even punish, you. He just needs to feel like somebody wants him."

Just then, Michael came back, looking for all the world like he hadn't a care in the world.

"You look like you are doing better; since that's the case, I'll go home now. I'll see you guys later."

Brian turned to leave when he heard Michael.

"Briian, I was hoping that you would stay at my place tonight. I hate to be alone there at night, and on top of that, I don't feel so good."

Brian turned to look at him, and suddenly, Michael did look rather pathetic, when only thirty seconds before, he was all but bouncing. That was when Brian realized that Emmett and Ted were right. Michael had been playing him all night, and he had let him.

His face became grim and he walked up to Michael and pushed his face really close to the shorter man's.

"Give it a rest, Michael. It stops now. I'm with Justin, he's my partner, and that is not going to change any time soon if I have anything to say about it. You had better get over this sick jealousy you have of him, and fast, or you and I are through. I didn't realize what you were doing tonight and I didn't want to believe it when it was pointed out to me, but you just proved it. Now, I'm going home, and I hope to fuck that Justin is there and that he will be able to forgive me for not seeing what a total and utter prick my so-called best friend is."

With that, Brian turned around and left without as much as a backwards glance.

When he came home, he found a guy on his knees on the couch and Justin standing behind him, pounding into him. Just as Brian opened the door, they both came, and Brian could see the shock in Justin's eyes when he saw Brian standing there.

Justin pulled out of the guy's ass and told him to leave. He was just about to protest when he saw Brian. He quickly put on his clothes and left the loft quietly.

"I didn't think you would be home tonight; otherwise, I would never have brought a trick here. Is Michael feeling better?"

Justin looked honestly sorry that Brian had to see that, and there was no malice or sarcasm in his voice when he asked about Michael.

"Michael is just as fine as he's been all night. Emmett told me what he's been doing. I feel like such a stupid fool for not seeing it myself. I didn't even believe him when he told me, but then, Michael proved him right. I was hoping that you would be here and not at his place."

Brian cocked his head at the door to indicate the trick that had just left.

"I would never go home with some guy I don't know. You taught me that; I haven't done that since I went home with you that first night."

They smiled a little at the memory, but then, Brian sobered and looked sad.

"I know I always say that sorry is bullshit, but not this time. I really am sorry that I didn't see what Michael was doing. I just never imagined that he would be that petty and mean. He used to be the nicest guy in the world, always concerned about everybody else. That all changed when I met you. Why is that, Justin? Why can't he just be happy for me? I mean, he has Ben; why am I not allowed to have a relationship, unconventional as it may be?"

"I don't know, Brian; I really don't know."

Justin went to his lover and wrapped his arms around him. Brian slumped slightly and let the feel of Justin's arms comfort him.

Justin took Brian's hand and led him up to the bathroom. He stripped him and pulled him into the shower.

The next morning at the diner, Brian and Justin sat in a booth when Ted, Emmett, and Michael walked in. They joined the two men and it was very obvious that Michael was not happy to see the two of them together.

"So did the little drama princess go home and sulk after he cried to his sugar daddy that big bad Michael was mean to him?"

Michael was trying to taunt Justin. All four men just looked at him with their mouths hanging open until Justin started giggling. He tried to keep it in, but when Brian joined him, he couldn't help himself any longer and started laughing in earnest.

"Shit, Michael. You are killing me, here. Do you have any idea how much Brian would love to be my sugar daddy, at least in the sense that I would let him pay for everything and I would quit my job? He fucking hates that I work here, but I won't let him support me fully. I like to work, I like to contribute, and I love having my own money. And what exactly would I have been running to Brian with?"

Oops; Michael hadn't thought that through.

"Are you telling me that you didn't make him leave last night? That you didn't convince him that I was jealous of you in some way, as if there is anything to be jealous of?"

"I didn't tell Brian shit. I was fucking a trick on the couch when he came home last night. I had expected him to spend the night at your place, keeping you company since Ben is out of town."

"What? You were fucking some guy on Brian's couch in Brian's loft? You selfish, spoiled little shit."

Michael was practically spitting.

"Jesus, Michael, do you have any idea how often Justin has had to walk in on me fucking some trick somewhere in our home? And you think he's the selfish one, when he didn't even think I would be home? I have always known that Justin would come home, and I did it anyway. Of the two of us, I'd say I'm the selfish asshole."

"But, it's your loft; you can do whatever you want there."

"It's our home, Michael; Justin lives there, too. Besides, Justin didn't tell me shit about what you did last night."

"What?"

Michael looked about as dumb as he sounded.

"I told him, while you were in the bathroom."

Emmett wouldn't let Justin take the blame, and he was tired of the way Michael was always trying to come between his two friends.

"What? Why would you do that; I thought you were my friend?"

Michael was whining.

"Michael! Brian and Justin are my friends, too! Are you saying that I have to agree with everything you do to be your friend, even when you're being a cunt?"

Michael gaped at him and then turned his puppy dog eyes at Ted.

"I confirmed what he was saying, Michael; what you were doing was wrong."

Seeing that he wouldn't get any support, he got up and all but ran out of the diner.

"Fuck, Brian, I'm sorry. This is exactly why I didn't tell you anything. I didn't want this to happen."

Justin looked genuinely remorseful.

"Justin, you didn't do anything; I did. I just got so tired of seeing you so sad all the time, knowing that it was Michael's fault and that he was doing it on purpose."

"Emmett's right, Justin. What Michael did was low, and quite frankly, I didn't recognize him last night."

Justin just shrugged his shoulders, but Brian started thinking about all the other times that Michael had demanded to spend time with him.

"This is not the first time he's done this, is it?"

Justin looked down at the table, but Brian put a finger under his chin to make him look into the hazel eyes.

"No, he's been doing it since the night we met."

"Fuck,"

the three other men said at the same time.

"Why haven't you ever told me?"

"And what? You would have believed me over your best friend? Would any of you? Besides, I didn't want to put you in the middle like that; I know how important Michael is to you."

Before Brian could answer, he had a sharp red fingernail in his face.

"What the fuck did you do to my kid this time, asshole? Kiki told me that he ran out of here looking upset after having talked to you."

Before Brian or Justin could say or do anything, Emmett got up out of the booth and got in Debbie's face.

"He didn't do anything, Deb; Michael did."

He guided Deb to a seat and proceeded to tell her everything that happened the night before. Deb looked crushed, but they could all see the second she tried to make it Brian's fault in her mind.

"If you hadn't been stringing him along for all these years, he wouldn't have behaved like that."

"No, Deb, Brian may have had a leash on Michael, he might even have yanked on it on occasion, but not since the disastrous birthday party. Besides, Michael has always had an even tighter leash on Brian, and he has yanked it far more frequently than Brian ever did."

Emmett was not about to let Deb put this one on Brian, not anymore.

"But..."

"No buts, Deb; you have no idea how much this is hurting Brian, but even more so, Justin."

Deb's head whipped up at that and she looked at Justin and could see the strain in his eyes.

"Shit. It really does, doesn't it?"

"Yes, but I was dealing. Emmett is the one who had enough."

Justin gave the tall queen a gentle smile and Emmett smiled back.

"It wasn't fair, baby, what he was doing to the two of you."

"Thanks, Emmett. I still can't believe I didn't see it sooner."

Brian looked sad as he got to his feet and grabbed hold of Justin's hand to drag him with him. They left the diner with their arms around each other's hips.

Deb looked at them and resigned herself to the fact that she would have to have a serious talk with her son.


End file.
